Electric annunciator.



No. 634,095. Patented Oct. 3, 1899.

C. E. SURFBNER. v

ELECTRIC ANNUNCIATDR.

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ELECTRiC ANNUNCIATDR.

(Applicaticn filed Feb. 4, 1892.)

(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 3, I899;

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eye of theoperator, so that her attention may 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFF E.

CHARLES E. scRiENEa'o cnioAeo, nn no gnsslenon TOTHE WESTERN i ELEcTEIc COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC TAJNZN u NciA oR.

$PEGIFICATION foz-ming part of Letters Patent No. 634,095, dated October 3, 1899,

Application filed February 4, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E Scnlnnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Annunciators, (Case No. 252,) of which the following is a full ,clear, concise, and exact description, reference be-' in g-had to the accompanying drawings,'forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electric annunciators; and in general its object is to improve the construction and action of such annunciators as are adapted to be used as individual annunciators in connection with telephone-exchange circuits.

Heretofore self restoring annunciators have not been practically employed in telephone-exchange systems, the operators at the exchange being required to restore the shutters to their normal positions by hand after the calls have been received; Circuits, however, have been devised moreespecially'for multiple-switchboard systems which contemplate the employment of self-restoring annunciatorsthat is to say, the call is sent by the subscriber and his individual annunciator or shutter thrown down. The operator at the central office by the act of plugging into the switch of the calling-subscrib ers line automatically closes a circuit through a special coil provided on the annunciator, which excites the said magnet, so as to restore the shutter. In some instances the extra magnet orcoil has acted in opposition to the main operatingcoil upon the same armature, and sometimes a special armature has been provided in connection with the extra coil.

One feature of my invention consists in making the drop or indicating-piece of the annunciator of soft iron and combining therewith a curtain or shield, which is thrown up to disclose the face of-the drop by the slight movement of the dropitself when released. This apron or shield whenthus thrown up serves also as a target to readily catch the be at once attracted to the particular annunciator that has been operated, When the operator plugs inthe line of a subscriber who has thus operated his individual annunciator,

of the coil may be taken out through these -nunciators, portions of the supportinggilate derial No. 420,310. (No model.)

in placing the main operating-electromagnet and the extra magnet of the annunciator end to end, the armature lever or hookof the main magnet being extended forward to normally engage with and hold up the armature of ,the extra electromagnet, which armature when released causes the indication or signal.

I preferably employ tubular magnets, and the two magnets of each annunciator are preferably mounted on opposite sides of a plate, which may be common to a large number of individual annunciat-ors. Usually fifteen are mounted on a single plate. The shell of the restoring-magnet may be perforated on opposite side s near the plate, andthe ends openings, suit-able bushings being provided in these openings to insulate the ends of the wire from the shield. These ends -I solder, respectively, to rods passing back to the rear of the drop, one on' each side thereof, said rods being insulated from the other parts of the annunciator. These rods are designed simply to carry the connections of the wires back to the rear of the annunciator, where itis most convenient to make the connections with the circuit-wires. A contactpiece is placed under the drop in such position that when the drop is released this contact will be closed to ground. Such contactpieces have been heretofore employed in connection with individual annunciator-drops to close a night-signal circuit. 7

In the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative of myinvention, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a diagram illustrative of the circuits of two telephone-lines of multiple-switchboard system in connection with my self-restoring annunciat-ors. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a plan view from above of one of my self-restoring anand of the shell surroundingthe front or restoring-electromagnet coil being brokenaway to show the insulation of the connections with the Wire of the coil of said magnet. Fig. 3 is a View of the same from below. Fig. dis a detailed longitudinal sectional view of the same, the armature forming the drop and the curtain operated thereby Fig. 5 is gages with the drop 0, pivoted at cl to hold said drop in the position shown most clearly in Fig. 2. The main operating-electromag-.

net is secured to the supporting-plate e, as

best shown in Fig. 4, and directly opposite thereto is secured the restoring electromagnet. The core f of the restoring-magnet is preferably extended so as to project into the recess or opening 9 provided in the drop 0, in order that the drop 0, which is of soft iron to act as an armature, may have a considerable range of movement within the influence of the said core f. Figures indicating the number of the annunciator are preferably pro-- vided upon the face of the drop a. I have foundit especially desirable to provide atarget having agreater range of movement than can be advantageouslyobtained with a drop 0 which is to be restored by magnetic attraction. I have therefore constructed the'drop c to have only such a moderate range of movement when it is released that it will when it comes to rest be within the range of the restoring-magnet when the magnet is eX cited, and have providedadditional tothis drop the apron or target 7, which is made quite light and pivoted, as shown, within the path of the beveled upper end of the drop, so

that the curtain 72. will be thrown up, as

shown in Fig. 4, when the drop is actuated. Thus the visual signal is made pronounced. I preferably make the apron h of aluminium, in order that it may be as light as possible.

The ends 2' 2' of the coil of the restoring-magnet are brought out, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, through insulating-bushings inserted through the shell of said magnet. The rods 7; 70, insulated from the plate 6, as shown in Fig. 2, are connected with these wires t' 1'. These rods 70 extend back to the rear of the annunciator through bushings-of insulating material provided in the frame 1-, which frame Zearries also the pivots of the armature Ct. Thus all the connections with the annunciator may be made at the rear thereof.

The contact-piece m upon thelowerside of the drop may be connected with any circuit as, for example, circuitnwhich it may be desired to ground. When the annunciator-drop c is released and falls to the position shown in Fig. 4, the spring 0 under the same is forced against the contact 972, as shown. This spring 0 being connected with the main frame of the annunciator will serve as a ground connection for the contact m, as shown in Figs.

2 and 4. It will be observed that the latch or hook Z) passes forward through a notch provided in the plate e and between the different halves ofthe support p upon which the apron is hung. The shells of the magnet are provided with a groove 1) for the armature lover or hook b, thus permitting the sameto lie close to the magnets. The annunciator as a whole is made thus compact, and it will be understood that several will be mounted restoring-electromagnet will be included in a circuit-containing battery, which circuit will be automatically closed when connection is made with the line to which the annunciator belongs, and thus current being closed through said coil 7" the drop 0 will be attracted and thus automatically restoredthat is to say the subscriber will send current through the coil q of the operating-electromagnet, thus operating armature a and the latch or armature-lever I) carried thereby. The shutter c, which is normally held by said latch, is thus released and the apron thrown up to the position shown in Fig. 4;. The operator at the board where the annunciator is placed seeing the signal answers the call by inserting a plug into the switch of the line containing the annunciator at her board,

- and the circuits are so arranged that the act of plugging into this switch closes circuit through the coil r of the restoring-electromagnet, and thus the said magnet is excited and the drop 0 is'immediately restored.

I do not limit my invention to any particular circuit or systems of circuits; but for the purpose of illustrating the utility of my invention when applied to telephone-exchange systems I will briefly describe the circuits of Fig. 1.

The telephone-line .9 extends in metallic circuit from subscribers station 1 to the series of switches s s on different switchboards and thence through the coil (1 of the operatingmagnet of my individual annunciator. The test circuit or wire 8 connects from the front or insulated portions ofswitches s .9 through the coil 0" of the restoring electromagnet-battery to ground. The circuit of the subscriber of station 2 may be precisely the same as that of station 1. The subscriber on operating his generator sends current through coil q and so operates the annunciator. The operator seeing the signal inserts plug 1. into switch 3'. Now it will be observed that the inner portion of thering of this switch is provided with a ground connection and that the metallic sleeve upon the shank of the plug serves as a medium of electrical connectionbetween the two parts of the ring or tube of the switch.

'Thns when'the plug t is inserted the shorter ca goes I do not deem it necessary to further illustrate or further describe the operation of a telephone-exchange, since the foregoing description will be sufficient to make clear the best mode of using my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination, with a supportingplate, of two electromagnets mounted heel to heel on opposite sides thereof, the armatures of said magnets and the hook or latch extending from one armature to normally engage with the armature of the otherto hold the same from falling, and circuits through the different magnets; whereby when current is sent through the magnet having the latch or hook, the armature ofthe other magnet is released, said armature being restored when current is sent through the electromagnet thereof.

2. The combination with a pivoted weight whose center of gravity falls without the axis of support, of an electromagnet whose armature when attracted is adapted to release said pivoted weight, said weightserving as the drop of an annunciator, of a curtain or target.

pivoted in front of the weight and beingof less weight than the same,'whereby the pivoted weight when released falls against the curtain near the pivoted axis thereof, to move the curtain a greater distance than the pivoted weight, substantially as specified. 3. The combination, with the operatingelectromagnet, its armature and armaturelever hook, of the restoringelectromagnet and its armature provided with a latch, with which latch the hook is adapted to engage, circuits through the different magnets and switching devices, whereby on closing thecircuit through the operating-magnet, the armature of the restoring-magnet is released to act as an annunciator-drop, said armature being attracted and restored to its engagement with the hook when circuit is closed through the restoring-magnet, substantially as specified.

4-. The combination, with the operatingmagnet and the restoring-magnet mounted.

5. The combination, with a drop-shutter of soft iron pivoted below and to one side of its center of gravity, of a shield or apron placed near to and parallel with said drop-shutter pivoted at its upper edge, the upper edge of said drop-shutter engaging with said shield near its pivotal point, whereby said apron is pushed outwardly by the movement of said drop-shutter, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the iron gravitydrop normally held by the hooked leverof the operating-magnet, of said lever, the retaining-magnet having its pole-piece extended, and the drop being provided with a recess corresponding to said extended pole, substantially 'as specified.

7. The combination, with the iron gravitydrop and the operating electromagnetic device for releasing the same, of the contactclosing spring closed by the drop when the drop is released, and the magnet with its pole presented to said drop and adapted to act directly thereon for restoring the drop and there by permitting the circuit -closing spring to open, substantially as specified.

8. The combination in an annu nciator, with the tubular electromagnetic devices, of the plate upon which they are mounted, the ends of the wire of the coils of one magnet being carried out through insulating-bushings in the shell thereof, said ends being extended by insulatedrods through said plate to the rear of the annunciator,substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the tubular electromagnets placed end to end, of the armature lever or hook extending over both the said magnets, the shells of said magnets being provided with a groove for said lever to permit the same to lie close thereto, substantially as shown and described.

10. A self-setting. annunciator having an electromagnet organized when excited to release the drop, and an auxiliary electromagnet organized to reset or restore the said drop by shortening or reducing the resistance of a magnetic circuit, including the core and armature of said electromagnet; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 22d day of January, A. D. 1892. CHARLES E. SORIBNER.

Witnesses:

M. JEANE TALLETT, Gnouen L. CRAGG. 

